Sharma Howard: Children can learn valuable lessons watching story ballet

Tuesday

Mar 25, 2008 at 12:01 AMMar 25, 2008 at 12:01 PM

Ballet integrates more art forms, and at a higher level, than any other live performances I know. In story ballets, which appeal strongly to children, there is the marriage of music and movement, acting, costumes, sets and lights, all of which work together to create compelling characters and classic, timeless tales.

Sharma Howard

A tucked-away memory came to light when I sat in the darkened theater recently watching Mystic Ballet’s “Snow White.”

I had to be younger than 5 years old when I had gone to see a play that had a heroine and a witch, and I was standing backstage with my mother, looking at the long line of children clamoring around the good character. The witch stood to the side, alone and, to my mind, looked a bit down.

Seizing the opportunity, I ran up to her and asked for her autograph. She beamed and soon other children, intrigued, followed my example, her scary persona shattered.
It’s so very important for children to go to live performances and learn people, not machines, not far off movie stars, create a character.

And this key to appreciating how creatively a performer constructs their character is one young children had their fill of Sunday with “Snow White,” a story ballet modeled after the Disney movie version.

At the beginning of the show, the ballet company’s artistic director, Desiree Subotic, comes onstage to brief the children about audience participation, which is encouraged for their “Dance me a Story” family-oriented ballets.

She told the children to feel free to clap whenever Snow White appeared and to boo when the wicked stepmother, who most children know will plot to kill Snow White, billows on stage in her jewel-colored gown and headdress.

But there was a caveat to the instructions: When the stepmother, danced by Vanessa Duarte, came to take her bow, do not boo. I have to admit I was a bit surprised when the children followed the instructions, given their enthusiastic boos throughout the performance.

By letting the children feel invested in the show, the ballet, which is mostly amusing through the antics of the Seven Dwarfs, helps engage children in classical ballet, an artform children from this region don’t have the opportunity to see as often as those living in metropolitan areas.

True, we have the annual “Nutcracker” and the stray ballets that come in the spring, but we could have more. I’d like to see more. One of the great aspects of ballet is it can be suitable for children, even when its not Disney-fied. We just need to build the audiences for it.

Ballet integrates more art forms, and at a higher level, than any other live performances I know. In story ballets, which appeal strongly to children, there is the marriage of music and movement, acting, costumes, sets and lights, all of which work together to create compelling characters and classic, timeless tales.

Dance requires children to learn to read body language, to be sensitive to the nuance of subtle gestures, as well as the appreciation of the big, athletic leaps that instill discipline and dedication in the dancers themselves. And the immersion in a ballet experience requires an amount of dedication from the audience as well. With no words spoken, audience members construct the story and interpret the emotions onstage.

My 11-year-old son, who was, I admit, partially bribed with a trip to Toys ‘R’ Us afterwards, braved the pelting rain and the feminine ballet (there are ballets that appeal more to boys, but he enjoyed it well enough) to be my companion.

I was grateful to him and to the Mystic Ballet, which continues to educate younger audiences with the beauty, magic and wonder that is ballet.

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